HARBOR FINANCE.

Taranaki Daily News, 22 July 1922, Page 4

HARBOR FINANCE.

The Harbor Board decided at Thursday’s meeting, to levy a harbor improvement rate upon all imports, this being considered necesarsy to make up the deficiency of £5OOO in the interest fund. The Board has power, of course, to levy a rate to bring in that amount, but the cost of collection would be out of proportion to the amount produced, and the Board decided upon the other means of obtaining the money. It was pointed out that in Wellington a harbor improvement levy of 1/6 per ton is made, but Wellington is becoming a very expensive port to use, as Taranaki importers have cause to know, and is therefore not necessarily a good example to follow. Our view is that the port charges should be kept down to a minimum and so encourage trade. High costs havethe reverse effect. At present the great bulk of our imports come through Wellington, and are subjected to the very 'high transhipment charges there, as well as the high coastal freight, charges which in many instances equal the entire cost from London or New York to Wellington. In time we all hope Taranaki will obtain nearly all its goods direct From the United Kingdom, and then the imposition of 1/or even 5/- will be a in6re bagatelle compared with the substantial saving effected in other directions. The position facing the Board, however, is one that will admit of no delay, and it is a case of either raising the money required by means of a rate or the imposition of a charge on imports or exports. The Board has chosen the lesser of the two evils, but we hope it will be onlj’ a temporary imposition, and be taken off as soon as the revenue in creases, fts increase it no doubt will, notwithstanding the drop in the land revenue, over which, of course, the Board has no control. Mr. Wilkinson voiced the opinion at the meeting that the public were not satisfied with the progress of the improvement works, and he frankl” admitted there was so far not much to show for the money spent. He is perfectly correct. The public are growing very dissatisfied with what to them seems an intolerably slow rate, of progress. They cannot visualise the preparatory hnd foundation work that has been done, but allowing for all this, and for the difficulties that have beset the Board almost ever since the Waiwera was berthed, the results have not been such as to cause any undue jubilation. It is little use, however, complaining of what has happened in the past. The knowledge is only useful as indicating the necessity for pushing on more energetically in the future. Already the facilities of the port are far behind re quirements, and the public would welcome the display of enterprise and push on the part of the Board. The needs are urgent, and the Board should not allow anything to impede the progress of the works in the slightest degree.